Fudge-Tastic Brownies (Vegan + Gluten-free + Grain-free + Nut-free)

Oh have I got a treat for you today!

I’ve held on to this recipe for months and am wondering why the heck I waited this long to make it. I guess there just isn’t enough time in the day to try each and every single recipe I have pinned, tweeted and Facebooked.

But there will always be enough time for brownies, always. Even if they are months in the making.

This recipe really appealed to me because it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, nut-free, potato-free, sugar-free, potato-free, yeast-free, grain-free… and should hopefully be consumable by anyone with a food allergy. Heck, if you’re sensitive to chocolate you could sub out the cacao powder for carob and still enjoy them!

I often get asked by you guys, ‘how do I communicate my allergies and sensitivities to friends and family to avoid the awkwardness that surrounds social gatherings?’ My best answer is… send them a bunch of recipes! It’s usually far easier than trying to describe your allergies or write down a list of all the foods you can or cannot have.

This is one of those perfect recipes you can pass on to a friend, prepare for a group with multiple food allergies, and let that awkwardness just melt away… with fudgey goodness!

Fudge-Tastic Brownies

Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar free, Yeast free, Corn free, Grain free

Allergen-free brownies fudge brownies. They’ll melt in your mouth!

Yield: 16 brownies

Servings: 16

Lightly adapted from Elana’s Pantry

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mashed frozen banana or 1/2 cup date puree (approximately 6-8 dates soaked in 1 cup water for an hour, drained, then blended to make 1/2 cup mixture)
• 1 cup roasted sunflower butter
• 2 tbsp ground chia seeds, mixed with 3 tablespoons water to form a paste
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 2 tbsp honey, brown rice syrup, or date syrup *see note
• 1/4 cup xylitol
• 10 drops stevia concentrate
• 1 tbsp gluten-free vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan rock salt
• 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking soda
• 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare an 8×8 baking dish with coconut oil. Ensure all nooks and crannies are well oiled. The mixture naturally has oil, so I didn’t bother using parchment.
2. In a food processor , combine bananas, sunflower butter and chia seed mix. Process until smooth.
3. Add in coconut oil, date syrup, xylitol, stevia and vanilla. Again, process until smooth before adding cacao, salt and baking soda
4. Transfer batter into a well greased 8×8 inch Pyrex baking dish and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the sides begin to get golden.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Cut in the pan into 16 squares and have at ‘er!

note: if vegan, do not sweeten with honey. If grain-free, do not sweeten with brown rice syrup.

note: I tried a batch without the stevia and they weren’t sweet enough. If you don’t want to use stevia, sub the plain roasted sunflower seed butter with the sweetened version and you should be good!

View nutrition info

They are melt-in-your-mouth fantasticness. At least that’s how Kevin described it.

… and Lexy would have too if she had, had the guts to grab the brownie out of Kevin’s hand!

PS: these brownies are really, really not safe for puppies! Not only is chocolate toxic to them, but xylitol is too. Unfortunately they’ll have to sit this treat out, but you could always make them a batch of puppy treats!

 

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Author Information: Leanne Vogel, Alberta, Canada
Leanne Vogel is a Holistic Nutritionist with a passion for healthy treats, whole food eats, and balanced living.
http://www.healthfulpursuit.com